* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download 2017Human Impact
Global warming hiatus wikipedia , lookup
Scientific opinion on climate change wikipedia , lookup
Attribution of recent climate change wikipedia , lookup
Solar radiation management wikipedia , lookup
Surveys of scientists' views on climate change wikipedia , lookup
Effects of global warming on humans wikipedia , lookup
Climate change, industry and society wikipedia , lookup
Climate change and poverty wikipedia , lookup
Public opinion on global warming wikipedia , lookup
Politics of global warming wikipedia , lookup
Global warming wikipedia , lookup
Sea level rise wikipedia , lookup
Instrumental temperature record wikipedia , lookup
Hotspot Ecosystem Research and Man's Impact On European Seas wikipedia , lookup
Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment wikipedia , lookup
Years of Living Dangerously wikipedia , lookup
Climate change in Tuvalu wikipedia , lookup
IPCC Fourth Assessment Report wikipedia , lookup
Chapter 17 &18 Human Impact on Oceans Human Impact • Pollution – anything introduced into the environment by humans that is harmful – Chemicals, trash, noise, heat, sewage, etc. • Biodegradable – can be broken down by bacteria reasonably quickly. (paper) • Nonbiodegradable – can not be broken down by bacteria (plastic) in a reasonable amount of time. • Persistent – remains in the environment permanently. Persistent Pollutants: Heavy Metals • High molecular weight elements that can cause damage to organisms in small concentrations • Causes brain, kidney, and liver damage and birth defects in people • Examples: –Mercury, Cadmium, Nickel, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Chromium Persistent Pollutants: Mercury • Sources: incineration of mercury containing waste (hospital waste, mercury lamps, metal recycling smelters, coal power plants (#1)), dental wastewater (fillings), Caribbean folk medicine, gold mining • Most harmful when in form of methyl mercury (converted by bacteria) [CH3Hg]+ http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-mercury-htmlpage,0,6027124.htmlpage Disposal sites Persistent Pollutants: Pesticides • Enter oceans: wind, runoff – Farmers spray crops – It can blow in – It can be washed in by rain • Created to kill life • Can affect reproduction and growth of marine organisms Persistent Pollutants: DDT dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane • • • • Pesticide to kill mosquitoes Killed many birds and fish Is currently banned in the US Used in third world countries where diseases like malaria are prevalent Biological Amplification /Biomagnification • Persistent chemicals do not break down • Organisms absorb or digest pollutants • Pollutants accumulate in top predators • Phytoplankton absorb mercury • Shrimp eat thousands of phytoplankton • Small fish eats hundreds of these shrimp • Large tuna eats thousands of these fish • This is why pregnant women shouldn’t eat too much fish Oil Spills: Sources of Oil in Ocean Water • Enters oceans naturally through seeps • Enters unnaturally through tanker spills, pipeline blowouts, leaks on rigs, runoff from land • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/bp-oil-spill Millions of gallons of oil into the environment each year. Effects of Oil on Marine Life • Can be ingested through food – Interferes with reproduction, development, and growth – Young are most affected • Birds and Mammals – Can get trapped in fur or feathers – Inhibits ability to stay warm or to fly – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/07/athabascatar-sands-oil-pipeline_n_793389.html#s201084 Oil Spill Clean-Up Efforts • Fencing Off – Use fire-retardant booms to contain oil • Skimmers – Scrape oil off of surface of water • Dispersants – Chemicals that break oil into small droplets – Dispersants can be toxic • Hot or Cold Water Washing – To remove oil from rocky shorelines – Hot water can be harmful to microorganisms • Bioremediation – Use of engineered bacteria to detect and break down oil The 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill • The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig on April 20, 2010 killed 11 people and led to the BP oil spill – the largest in U.S. history and second-largest in world history, 205.8 million gallons spilled – Oil flowed from the seafloor for 3 months before being capped on July 15th, 2010 Oil Spill Activity • 1) Watch the film “Scientists and the Alaska Oil Spill” and read the article “Exxon Valdez oil spill anniversary.” • 2) Make a t-chart that shows the main points presented in each. • 3) Write a couple of sentences: Who do you believe and why? Exxon Defenders Endangered Species • Extinction of marine animals can be caused by –Overfishing/overhunting –Habitat destruction –Pollution –Competition with alien species – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/30/13 -endangered-animals-of_n_513650.html#s75962 Overfishing • High capacity fishing nets and lines have greatly increased the amount of fish being taken from the sea (trawl nets, long-lines) • Ghost fishing – abandoned fishing gear kills millions of fish a year • By-catch – fish not of the targeted species that are caught are often dumped overboard after they have die in the nets. Sustainable Seafood • Fisheries harvests should be managed so as to ensure long-term presence of fish stocks. • Aquaculture – fish farming can be a solution to overfishing. – Fish farms can cause pollution ( fish waste, antibiotics, chemicals, pesticides) – Farmed fish are often fed wild caught fish Whaling: Hunting of Whales • Led to all whales being endangered • 1994 many countries banned whaling in Antarctica – Except: Norway and Japan • Started hunting dolphins instead Habitat Destruction • Estuaries – Dredged for ships – Filled in for building on – 1/3 of estuaries have disappeared in the US • Mangroves – Similar to estuaries – Also cut for timber and fuel Habitat Loss: coral bleaching • Coral bleaching refers to a process in which corals expel their algal cells (zooxanthellae) • Bleached coral looks like dead coral except polyps are still present. • Coral bleaching can be caused by stressful environmental conditions such as extreme temperature, low salinity, extreme light and various toxins. • More recently, coral reefs are showing early signs of stress due to global warming caused by green house gas emissions. affect of humans on coral survival • Coral reefs have also suffered significant damage from over-fishing and run-off from agricultural land. • The number of people living close to the reefs is the main factor causing declines in coral reefs. • In the Caribbean alone, reef losses are endangering a large number of species, from corals to sharks. • It is estimated reefs provide $4 billion in ecosystem services - quantifiable benefits including fishing, tourism and protecting the coast from storms Alien Species • Any species that is not native to the environment • Harmful for several reasons: – May carry parasites – No natural predator – Compete with natives for resources • Enter other oceans through ballast water – (Water holds in cargo ships) – Marine Invasive Species Pictures Battling Invasive Species “Climate is what we expect; weather is what we get.” –Mark Twain Climate Change • AKA global warming • Climate = pattern of atmospheric conditions across large geographic regions over long periods of time (seasons, years, millennia) • Climate change refers a the shift in global climate that has recently been observed. – (change in annual rainfall, temperatures, and severe weather patterns) – Climate changes naturally, and always has, but the recent rapid warming of the planet and its change in atmospheric composition are widely influenced by human activities. Greenhouse effect • Earth’s temperature depends on how much of the sun’s radiation enters the atmosphere and how much escapes back into space. • Greenhouse gasses (carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and CFCs) trap sunlight that normally reflects back into space. This increases the temperature of our planet (global warming). Greenhouse effect Blue Line = Average Global Temperature Red Line = Atmospheric CO2 Manmade causes of climate change Increase in carbon dioxide due to: Burning of fossil fuels: We remove carbon-rich fuels from the ground where they have been stored for millions of years, and combust them in an instant, sending CO2 into the atmosphere. Deforestation: Cutting down trees, removing vegetation from the land, decreases the sink for carbon. U.S. 186.1 Total CO2 emissions European Union Between 1950-2001 in billions of tons 127.8 Russia 68.4 Ukraine 21.7 China Poland Canada 14.4 14.9 Kazakhstan 57.6 10.1 Japan 31.2 India Mexico 15.5 7.8 Kuwait Trinidad and Tobago Australia South Africa 8.5 US: United Arab Emirat es 7.6 4% of world’s total population 25% of the world’s greenhouse gases China:25% of the world’s population TIME magazine, 2001 8.5% of the world’s greenhouse gases (since 1950) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/artic le-2779286/Now-s-GLOBAL-warmingInteractive-map-reveals-countries-emitcarbon-dioxide-160-years.html China emits the most CO2 as a whole. The US still emits more CO2 per person than any other country. Why is climate change a problem? • Economic losses due to weather and storms rose 10fold over the past 40 years, partly due to climate change. • Temperature will rise 3–5°C (5–9°F). • Temperature extremes will cause health problems; tropical diseases will move north into the U.S. • Sea level rise will flood coastal wetlands, real estate. • Ecosystems will be altered; some will disappear. • Agriculture and forestry will be forced to adjust to the shifting climate. • Increasing CO2 decreases the pH of seawater (more acidic). Sea Level Rise • Melting of – Greenland Ice Sheet – Antarctic Ice Sheet – Glaciers and ice caps • Expansion of heated (warm) sea water 2 - 4 C warming by ~2100 0.18 - 0.59 meter rise in sea level IPCC (2007) Arctic Sea Ice (in September) 2005 Asia Russia Canada Europe U.S.A. data from National Snow and Ice Data Center (Boulder, CO, USA) Arctic Sea Ice (in September) 2005 sea ice edge, where normally found 5.6 million km2 data from National Snow and Ice Data Center (Boulder, CO, USA) Arctic Sea Ice (in September) 2007 2005 4.3 5.6 million km2 million km2 sea ice edge (where normally found) data from National Snow and Ice Data Center (Boulder, CO, USA) Arctic Sea Ice (in September) Size (million km2) 9 8 7 6 2005 5 2007 4 ‘78 ‘82 ‘86 ‘90 ‘94 ‘98 ‘02 ‘06 Year data from National Snow and Ice Data Center (Boulder, CO, USA) Greenland Ice Sheet Melting ice sheets Sea level rise How it gets worse before it gets better… • Arctic ice usually reflects light back into space. • When Ice melts more light is absorbed by the Earth. – Positive feedback loop 20-big-uscities-thatshouldworryabout-sealevel-rise • (The paper, "Implications of Recent Sea Level Rise Science for Low-Elevation Areas in Coastal Cities of the Conterminous U.S.A.," published Climatic Change Letters.) • Rising sea levels will likely inundate 9 percent of the land within 180 American cities by the end of the century. This is on the low end of the best estimates current science has to offer. Sea Level Rise 1-5 meters in Bangladesh PCC slide no. 7-8 meters in Florida Carbon dioxide acidifies seawater CO2 Atmosphere CO2 Ocean “shelled-critters” • Dissolved CO2 reacts with water to form carbonic acid. • Carbonic acid can dissolve carbonate (which plankton, crustaceans, and molluscs use to make shells). • The ocean is already more acidic than it was 50 years ago. Source: Alfred-Wegener-Institute SEM photograph of E. hux Two venues for action POLICY REFORM PERSONAL GHG CUTS • Drive less - Carpool or use transit - Walk or bicycle - Combine errands - Telecommute • Drive a fuel-efficient car • Reduce home energy use - CFLs - Energy Star appliances - Heat room-by-room - Minimize summer A/C • Purchase GHG offsets PCC slide no. • Vote • Financially support concerned organizations • Volunteer for concerned organizations - Door-to-door education - Legislative lobbying Ocean Pollution: Spreading the word • 1) Form groups of 2. • 2) Using what you have learned and the article “Developing Solutions and Spreading the Word” create a poster that advertises the dangers of marine pollution and what we can do about it in a fun and creative way. • 3) The team with the best poster at the end of class gets CANDY!!! Human Impact Poster • Make a colorful poster that will educate the student body about environmental issues concerning the ocean. Use any of the following topics. • Oil Spills, mercury pollution, light pollution, overfishing, whaling, sea level rise, climate change, ocean acidification